Morning After Dark
by itsallwhiteandgold
Summary: 5 years after Amy and Dan won, Amy leaves for Harvard. When she gets there, she bumps into Ian Kabra, which complicates things. But when she befriends Hamilton Holt, she finds herself healing from all the hurt. Will it be Ian or Hamilton?
1. I Try

I DON'T OWN ANYTHING WHEN IT COMES TO THE 39 CLUES! PEACE!!

(5 years after the clue hunt)

"DAN!! DROP THAT BOX _NOW_!!" 19-year-old Amy screamed at her 16-year-old brother Dan. He was running around the mansion with Amy's box full of…private stuff. She didn't want him to see whatever was in it, but he did. And now he was making fun of her.

"DAN!!"

5 years had passed since the siblings surprisingly won the clue hunt. All they needed were determination, intelligence, and…well, as far as they could remember, the memories of Grace Cahill, their beloved grandmother. She would have been so proud if she saw Amy and Dan now. But they never really changed---they were still humble and silly.

Amy's face was beet red as she ran after Dan down the hallways of their Boston mansion. She was the one who picked all the art and furnishings for the house. Dan was the one who decided to put an arcade at the basement.

"Catch me if you can slowpoke!!" Dan shouted back at Amy. Today was the day Amy leaves for Harvard, and all he ever wanted to do was spend just a little more time with her…annoying her. He'd miss her, but he wasn't exactly the type of guy who'd openly express his feelings---especially not to his annoying, dweebish, amazing and loving sister.

Amy finally caught up with him and she grabbed the collar of his shirt. "Ha!" She said triumphantly, "I caught you!! Now hand me back the damn box, Dan." Dan turned around and dropped the box, which landed on her foot. Amy howled in pain.

"What the hell was that for?!" Amy screamed at her obnoxious brother. He was such a dweeb. He was so annoying. But she still would miss him and all their arguments.

Dan shrugged innocently. "You told me to drop it, right?"

Amy rolled her eyes, but laughed. Dan laughed along with her. Amy was still taller than Dan, which annoyed him sometimes. And Dan was still more 'talented', which usually annoyed Amy. But they still loved each other, nonetheless.

Amy pulled Dan to a hug, and he decided to hug her back. Through all the years they've been together, Dan was used to seeing his big sister around. But now she was leaving for college. It would be a while until he saw his sister again.

"Um, you can un-hug me now," Dan told Amy sheepishly. Amy blushed and recoiled from the hug. "You better behave, ninja boy," Amy told Dan, "And you better not break anything in here!"

Dan smirked at his sister. "Me? Not break anything? Ha! You have got to be kidding me Amy. You know me well enough. I'm your brother."

Amy smiled. There was a car parked outside the mansion, and Amy knew that it was time to go. She and Dan exchanged looks, and Amy suddenly felt like crying. She would miss her stupid and amazing brother more than anything no matter what he did.

There was a knot at her throat and she was about to say 'Bye, Dan' but she choked. Then she remembered a song she had on her iPod…which Dan lost in the airport at Rome.

_I try to say good-bye and I choke. I try to walk away and I stumble. Though I try to hide it, it's clear. My world crumbles when you are not there._

"Dude, relax," Dan reassured his sister, "I'll be okay. Promise me, um, you'll be okay there as well."

Amy bit her lower lip and nodded. "B-bye," Amy stuttered and she walked away to the front door. As she opened it, Dan caught up with her and shyly said, "I'll…uh…you know…miss you and stuff."

Amy grinned. "I'll miss you too…and stuff."

Dan laughed but when he saw his sister enter the black car outside their mansion, he nearly cried. _Gee, Dan! You're not supposed to me crying over your dumb sister_, He thought, _it'll only be four years---four long and lonely years._

Amy waved good-bye at her brother and gave him a thumbs-up. Dan rolled his eyes but waved back. When the car left, Saladin appeared at Dan's side.

"_Murp?"_

Dan picked up the cat and patted its fur. He sighed deeply. "She'll be gone for a while. Don't worry. You've still got me, right?"

"_Murp."_

**XXX**

Ian Kabra was on his private jet when his annoying little sister, Natalie, popped up beside him. Ian groaned and took his shades off. He was still handsome as ever in his favorite Armani shirt. Lately, he's been to the gym, trying to forget the embarrassing loss to…HER.

_Amy Cahill…_

He couldn't believe it. Two nobodies had won over them, the Kabras! But the worst part was he couldn't stop thinking about Amy and her stupid stutter. What was so special about her anyway? She wasn't exactly the most beautiful girl he's ever seen, and she could really get on his nerves.

_I wonder what she looks like now_, Ian thought.

He last saw her when she was just 14, and she looked…he didn't know how to describe her. She and her brother were in the same clothes most of the time. And Amy would always start to panic when she saw Ian.

"Are you thinking about HER again?" Natalie taunted her brother.

Ian rolled his eyes. "Yeah right," He muttered, "Why would I be thinking of someone like her?" Natalie pretended to be thinking, and then she said, "Because you like her?" Ian ignored her during the whole flight after that.

_Him_? Liking _her_? Ha! Like that would ever happen.

But…sometimes it felt like he did. But he knew that it was probably just pity that made him feel like he ever did like he liked or cared about her. His sister always teased him about Amy, even if they were in front of their (still annoyed) mother, Isabel Kabra. Sometimes Isabel would tell Ian that it was his fault for liking that stupid girl that he let her win out of love.

Ian sighed. His mother really had no faith in him (or his sister). But he understood her. The Lucians, which meant ALL the Lucians, lost to two once-homeless kids even with their amazing gadgets and skills and technology. And it was the Kabras' entire fault.

At least their father Vikram was still the head of the Lucians, although the Lucians weren't exactly too happy to have him as their leader anymore. They often disrespected him after the branch's huge loss, and they seldom followed what he said. But what could they do about it now? Kill him?

The idea made Ian's heart stop literally. Would they really do such a thing? Would they really kill Vikram? And would they kill his family as well?

When he looked at Natalie, he suddenly started to worry about her. Sure, he absolutely hated her. But there would always be a part of him that cared about his brat of a sister.

"What?" Natalie snapped.

"Nothing," Ian lied.

Natalie shrugged and went to sleep. Her brother was going to Harvard, all because for some reason Oxford was full of Lucians who might be crazy enough to try and kill him. So Harvard was fine. But Ian had to throw a fit that he wanted to go to somewhere like Yale or Stanford. Too bad for him, he lost.

"Are you sure it's nothing?" Natalie asked Ian.

"Yes," Ian grumbled.

The rest of the flight was quiet, until the pilot said they finally landed. _Well, here goes nothing,_ Ian thought.


	2. Brains and Brawn

I DON'T OWN ANYTHING WHEN IT COMES TO THE 39 CLUES! PEACE!!

_PS. Sorry if I've taken a while to update this story. I've been out a lot lately (New Year's eve, Christmas eve, Christmas, etc.) and my pit-bull, Spike, died on December 30. I've been kind of depressed after Spike's death (the reason of which we do not know since the pet hospital will only give it an autopsy if it dies THERE. On our case it died in its cage in a peaceful manner, so I guess it must be of cardiac arrest or heat stroke), so I've been in my 'not-in-the-mood-to-do-anything-at-all' mood the past few days._

Hamilton wasn't sure if hiding in a place full of Ekats and other nerds was the best place to be. He could have hidden at his grandparents' place, but he knew that they'd eventually tell his parents where he was. So that wasn't a good idea. And just roaming around the world wasn't either, even though Hamilton would have loved to do that. His parents would make the whole world know that their son was missing. Their son who was supposed to go to military school and become like his dad. Or become even greater than his dad. But the only problem was that Hamilton _didn't_ want to go to military school (or _not yet_, anyway). He was tired of having to prove himself to his family, and to the Tomas branch. Couldn't they just relax? The clue hunt was done; there was no more need for all this ruckus. But they just kept on finding better agents. And Hamilton was the best choice.

"I so hate being the best sometimes," Hamilton muttered as he walked past some kids. What was it with these people? All they ever seemed to care about was academic stuff. The good thing was that Harvard had a football team. That was one thing that excited him. _Why couldn't I just be a_ _football_ _star? It's not like I wanna be some general or somethin'_, Hamilton thought. He pushed the thought about military stuff out of his mind.

Eisenhower was definitely unhappy with Hamilton. He didn't even need to see his father to know that. Eisenhower was a former cadet at a military school, and he sort of wanted his son to take after him or become better. But Hamilton didn't want that. He was so happy living a normal life and not worrying about stupid clues. Why couldn't his father be happy about that as well? Mary-Todd and his sisters seemed to like the whole 'normal American family' thing as much as Hamilton did. _Military school just to train me to become a killer or whatever_, Hamilton thought bitterly, _like that'll ever happen!_

He suddenly remembered how easy it was to get his name enlisted for that year's batch. Being a computer whiz* always came in handy. Well, that goes to show that not _all_ people from the Tomas branch are dumb or dimwitted. They were always known for brute strength, but Hamilton was equipped with both that and computer skills. _Looks like I'm special after all_, Hamilton joked in his mind.

_*IF YOU HAVE CARD #90 AND IF YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT AT THE WEBSITE, THEN YOU'LL KNOW WHAT I MEAN_

Some girls and guys were staring at Hamilton as they passed by him. He smirked. Hamilton was _huge_---even bigger than before! After the hunt, he gradually got more muscular and taller, which made him a total threat to anyone. Fitness always came first in his own little world. That's why he always got MVP or any other award (and bad grades).

One of the nerds (who looked really nerdy) had a terrified look on his freckled face. He lowered his head as he walked by Hamilton, who intentionally bumped him with his big body. The nerd fell on the floor, making the other students laugh, but they were obviously scared of Hamilton Holt.

"Hey, are you okay?" A girl asked the nerd. Hamilton recognized the voice, even though it seemed like it changed just a little bit. He turned around and looked at a redheaded girl help the weakling nerd get up. Well, she really looked familiar. The eyes, the hair---everything. He just couldn't quite figure out who this girl was.

The boy Hamilton bumped pointed at him and the girl looked at him. Her mouth was agape when she saw him. Then Hamilton remembered who that girl was...

"Amy?"

Well, if it isn't the scrawny geek who won with her annoying brother. Except...she wasn't scrawny. Nor did Amy look geeky. She looked really pretty. And kind of hot. Hamilton realized that he was staring at her for a long time. He was about to blush when he remembered that he was supposed to _hate _her, not think she was all pretty and hot and stuff like that. She still wore the jade necklace like always, and she suddenly looked fancy in her clothes (even though it was only a really cool shirt and skinny jeans and boots). But he still couldn't stop staring at Amy like he saw an angel or something heavenly.

_Ew_, Hamilton thought, _I can't believe myself! I actually think she's good-looking!!_

"H-h-Hamilton?" Amy stuttered. Yep, that was definitely her. Hamilton didn't know anyone else who stuttered a whole lot like Amy Cahill did. "How did you---what are you---Hamilton?!"

Hamilton shrugged. "I guess I was smarter than I thought," He jokingly replied, "It's been, uh, 5 years, huh? So, you, um, enjoying the good life or something? Dad's still pissed off like hell."

Amy managed a smile. "Can we talk elsewhere?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Hamilton saw that the nerd he bumped was staring at Amy like he wanted to devour her whole, and like he saw the light for the first time. Hamilton was bothered by that, so he shot the boy a warning glance. The boy turned pale and thanked Amy before walking away. "My name's Ronald," the boy said, "But you can call me Ron." Amy smiled and introduced herself. Hamilton cleared his throat and hissed, "Can we just go 'elsewhere' already?" Amy nodded and bid good-bye to Ronald. Hamilton glared at Ronald before turning around.

When they were a good distance away from him, Amy gave Hamilton a bad look. Hamilton ignored her look. "You don't have to be so mean, you know," Amy muttered, "He was just passing by you!" Hamilton smiled, laughed, and said, "Well, it's his fault for being such a geek. Then again, this place is full of 'em!" He saw that Amy looked a bit hurt by what he said, so he just said, "Um, well, of course, some of them aren't so bad, right?" Amy smiled.

"So, what are you doing here?" Amy inquired, trying not to sound like he was stupid or unintelligent. "This place is full of Ekaterinas, or at least I think so. You're a Tomas, after all."

"You make me sound bad," Hamilton joked and Amy giggled. Wow. She really has changed. She looked much more mature now, but there was also something about her that was innocent. _Shut up_, Hamilton told himself in his mind. "Well, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. But I kind of enlisted myself here. Computers are sort of my thing, if you know what I mean."

Amy looked at him disbelievingly. "I thought beating the hell out of people was, like, 'your thing'. But computers? Are you really Hamilton Holt? Because you only look like him, but I don't think you are him."

Hamilton rolled his eyes. "See? That's how everybody reacts when they find out I'm a Tomas who's a computer dude. Why can't brains and brawn coexist? It's not like it's going to kill anybody, right? Gee whiz, our family's totally fucked up."

"I don't think it's that crazy," Amy said, "Okay, maybe it is."

"Totally fucked up."

"Totally."

There was an awkward silence as they walked down the hallway.

Hamilton looked at Amy. She looked up at him and looked away, her face beet red. He decided to tell Amy about his whole military school dilemma. After all, the hunt was done, and he wanted to live a normal life. _And I suppose talking casually with your very distant relative is part of that now_, Hamilton thought. "I'm kind of making this place my hideout since my dad's pissed off that I don't want to go to military school," He admitted, "I told him that I'd go, but not now. I even asked if I can hold back a year."

"Why?" Amy asked.

"Well, I'm just not really into this whole 'follow after your dad's footsteps' crap. That's why I'm here---he'd have a hard time getting me here. He really hates Ekats. You know that, right?"

"Yeah."

"And we've been in bad terms lately. We aren't as close as we used to be, which was before the hunt for the 39 clues. I guess I'm becoming a rebel of some sort. For all I care, I don't want to be anywhere near that guy. Or my family. My sisters are kind of on dad's side, and so is mom. So I'm on my own."

"Hey, so am I."

"Oh, right. Your brother is back in Boston."

"Yeah."

Hamilton bit his lower lip before saying, "Just don't think about whatever I've told you. I'm not supposed to tell my family's 'enemy' anything about me. But I guess I'll let that pass. Besides, there's nothing to worry about now, right? We're just two normal teenagers in college---or at least _you _are."

Amy smiled at him, which made him feel uneasy. "Yeah, we're just two normal teenagers in college. So, friends?" Amy reached out her hand in front of Hamilton.

He stared at it for a while. _Should I? Is being friends with her a good choice or not? She might only be doing this to get information out of me. Wait! What the hell's wrong with me? It's over---I can be friends with her if I want! No parents to nag me, no Tomas agents to check on me, no anything! _He shook Amy's hand and said sincerely, "Friends."

They were stuck staring at each other. Hamilton was still holding Amy's hand. He blushed, and so did she. He let go of Amy's hand and suggested that they go to class since the other students were. "Uh, yeah," Amy mumbled, tucking a strand of her reddish-brown hair behind her ear, "We better get going or we'll be late."

Before they entered, Amy stopped and smiled nicely at Hamilton, and he felt like he had butterflies in his stomach. "You know what, you aren't so bad," She said.

Hamilton shrugged. "Not everyone that seems bad or makes you go through shit is bad. Sometimes the bad-looking ones make you a better person...I guess by...okay, I don't exactly know why. Anyway, not all the nice-looking people are the nice guys, they can deceive you and stuff."

Amy winced. She remembered Ian Kabra. _Not all nice-looking people are the nice guys, they can deceive you_, Amy thought, _Well, I wish I'd learned that much earlier before falling hopelessly in love with Ian._

"Are you okay?" Hamilton asked her.

Amy nodded. She went in first and Hamilton followed her. She sat down in front of Ronald, who had that (disturbing) admiring smile plastered on his face. Hamilton, who was beside Amy, glared at Ronald. Ronald turned pale again. He crumpled a piece of paper and threw it at Ronald.

"Oops," Hamilton hissed.

**XXX**

Amy was scolding Hamilton about his behavior when a handsome boy came in. All the girls' eyes were on him. But among all of them, only Amy knew this boy well enough. There was a knot in her throat and her chest suddenly felt painful. She felt like crying.

"Hey, are you okay, Amy?" Hamilton asked, obviously alarmed. When he saw who she was looking at, he finally understood why Amy was acting that way. He absolutely HATED that person---for being such a smart-ass, for being annoyingly good, and for being the guy who broke Amy's heart and toyed around with her (he always secretly hated him the most for that, but he didn't know why exactly).

"I-I-I-Ian-n-n," Amy stuttered, her face redder than ever.

Ian Kabra looked surprised to see Amy, while he took no notice of Hamilton. His mouth was agape.

Amy was sure about one thing: College would be total hell.


	3. Stronger With Each Tear

I DO NOT OWN 39 CLUES!

**XXX**

Everything would have been wonderfully...wonderful if only that annoying, stuttering Amy wasn't there. And her _barbarian_ friend, Hamilton, made matters worse. Ian began to wonder how on earth he of all people got into such a university. After all, the Tomas weren't always known for being intelligent. They were known for being good at all the 'macho' things---hiking, shooting, war, sports, etc. But academics? Not quite.

Amy was obviously not paying that much attention to what the professor was saying or whatever he was writing. Oh, the poor thing. She was just so flustered! Ian never really knew that the sight of him still sent shivers down her spine. He could never understand her. Why couldn't she just accept the fact that they weren't (in Ian's opinion and in his family's) really meant to be? _Like the sun that never rises in the west and the tide that never stays high._

_That was a little redundant_, Ian thought.

And as for Hamilton...well, he wasn't paying much attention either, which made sense to Ian. And what about that nerd that kept looking at Amy like she was Angelina Jolie? It was creepy, and so was the geek. Thank goodness Natalie wasn't there. He wouldn't want creeps like that boy staring at her like that. If that ever did happen, then he would have sent whoever it was to the ER.

When class finished, Amy hurriedly went out of the room, her face drained of all its color. Ian decided to follow her, but he was hesitant. He didn't want her to throw a fit or to start screaming, and yelling, and saying things about him that would ruin his cool image. No Kabra would want that to happen.

The nerd of a boy was following Amy around like a puppy following its master. He was blabbering on and on about math and trigonometry and what not when Amy finally stopped walking. She faced the boy and said as calmly as she could, "Look, just, please, stop bugging me and following me around. It's kind of weird."

The boy gave her a hurt look, his shoulders slumped and he tried doing the puppy-dog-eyes move, which wasn't exactly puppy-dog-ish. His eyes just looked all watery. Pathetic, much. "Oh, okay."

Ian cleared his throat loud enough for Amy to hear. She looked at his direction, and she froze like a statue with its mouth hanging open. Ian walked to her gracefully, making the others stare at awe. He towered over the boy with Amy, who looked kind of irritated to see Ian Kabra standing beside him. Ian grimaced at him, sending a clear message that he didn't want to have this nobody around---ever.

"I think you could leave now," Ian told the boy. He heard his name, but he didn't really remember it. Besides, who needed to know something as unimportant as _that_? He flashed him a smile, but his eyes still had the same annoyed look in them. "Right, Amy?"

Amy shrugged. "I guess." Her voice was just a whisper.

The boy glared at Ian, but smiled when he looked at Amy. Stupid good-looking people. They always made the less fortunate feel so intimidated and stupid and...well, everything else that made a person feel like garbage. Yup, good-looking people always had that effect on most kids. Probably even on teachers. "Well, I better get going, Amy. See ya later." He waved good-bye as he walked away.

When he was a good distance away, Ian finally broke the awkward silence. "So, Amy," He said in his confident voice, the one that made Amy's stomach churn. "It sure has been a long time, now hasn't it?"

Amy Cahill avoided his gaze for as long as she could. But then the temptation of looking at his handsome face was just too good---and she had to show that she grew stronger with each tear she shed. All her life, she had been so infatuated with Ian, but growing up made her realize that someone like him probably wasn't worth being in love with. "I guess so," She answered, her head bowed down facing the floor. She didn't want him to see her blushing like she always used to. She was surprised that she didn't stutter this time. "So..."

Silence.

Ian put his hand under her chin and tilted her head up, making Amy blush even more. Now their eyes were locked to each other, making Amy lost in his deep gaze. She never felt like that before. Stupid emotions; sometimes she wished she didn't even have any emotions at all! Being apathetic sounded easy enough. Or at least it did until she tried it. She tried not laughing at her high school batch mate's jokes---she laughed. She tried not to cry when she hurt herself during PE---she cried. Until the time came that she gave up on the whole apathetic act since it was just too hard for her to do. Why did movies and cartoons and books make it look _so_ simple?

"Um, hello?"

Amy shook her head, bringing herself back to her senses. Oops. Had Ian been talking to her the whole time while she just stared at him like the fool that she was---yes. Definitely. Just the look on his face said that she really was just staring at him, totally oblivious to anything else. Sigh. "Uh, er, what...could y-you repeat what you just said?" Amy stuttered.

Ian rolled his eyes with a deep sigh. _How ridiculous_. "Well, I was just saying that we better just get straight to the point. If you're wondering why I'm here of all places, rather than in my home country, then it's because my parents forced me to go here for safety measures. If you know what I mean." He cocked a brow.

Amy didn't say anything for a while. No, she actually didn't quite know why. Ian looked annoyed this time. "You don't know what I mean, do you?" He asked her in a very exasperated tone. Wow. His voice surely has changed. It was deeper now. And so was Hamilton's. As for Dan...well, Amy supposed his had changed too. Everything else has changed about Dan except for his fondness of ninjas.

"You'll never grow up," Amy had told him once after he broke a vase because of his 'ninja skills training'.

"Look who's talking, grandma," Dan had retorted as he unwillingly picked up the shattered pieces of the ceramic vase. "You're just too serious. Have some fun. Seriously."

She had to admit, he had a point.

"I'm here because my father's afraid that the Lucians might plan to do something horrible against him and his family," Ian continued. He remained calm, as if he was used to telling this story to anyone who asked him. It was like it was the most natural thing for him to do. "And many Lucians, like my parents, study at one of the best universities there: Oxford. So now my father wants me to stay here for my whole college life, or even for the rest of my life. I see no threat. What could they possibly do to harm us?" He said it so mockingly that Amy almost believed that the Kabras really were invincible.

"But," Ian went on, "I don't want to worry them. Especially not my father. And I suppose being away from my mum's better than nothing." He smiled, but Amy knew well enough that it wasn't any joke. "As for Natalie...she can take care of herself. I haven't seen any other girl like her who carries a dart gun around where ever she goes."

Amy was quiet the whole time.

He removed his hand from under her chin and gave her a heart-stopping smile, showcasing his pearly white teeth. "I suppose it's okay to say it was nice to see you again," Ian said smoothly, "I just hope you get rid of that annoying boy who follows you around like you're his obsession. It's very creepy."

"Right," Amy mumbled.

And so he left, walking as confidently as ever. She wondered how he managed to do that: walkingaway as if nothing had ever happened. She only wished she could do the same thing every time she confronted Ian. But she was Amy Cahill, and no Ian Kabra.

* * *

Sorry that it took so long to get this done with. School started (God, I just hate it) and I've been very busy with deadlines and homeworks and **MATH** since I'm not very good with **MATH**, but I'm pretty okay with science and social studies/history. So, sorry again.


	4. Party Girl

I DO NOT OWN 39 CLUES!!

* * *

"Do you like him?" Ron asked Amy when she was reading a book on philosophy. "Do you like that guy Ian?"

He seemed so eager to know that Amy felt like saying, "Yes, yes I do. You know what? I've liked him ever since I laid my eyes on him! Isn't that amazing?", but that would only make her look paranoid and like an absolute nut. And she didn't like him anymore. Okay, maybe she only liked him a little now. Sigh---who was she kidding? _Of course_ she still had deep feelings for that evil, evil jerk.

Why did she have to like _him_ of all the people in this world?

She closed her book, looked up at him, and replied as nonchalantly as possible, "No, I just know him."

Ron didn't seem convinced. There definitely had to be more to him than she said. Amy Cahill was definitely lying, and her acting wasn't that convincing either. "Really? Well, it's just the way you look at him. It's so different from the way you look at the other guys. Or Hamilton."

"What?" Amy exclaimed. The other students turned their heads to her, curious or annoyed looks on their faces. She smiled sheepishly as she apologized and lowered down her voice when she spoke to Ron. "What? What's that supposed to mean? And how'd Hamilton get into this conversation?"

Ron shrugged and sat beside Amy. "You just look at him so differently. It's like a mixture of love, confusion, terror, and I guess a bit of hate. But mostly love and confusion."

Amy blushed for a while but went back to her normal state. "Okay, you answered my first question, but what does _Hamilton_ have to do with this?"

"Nothing, really."

Amy folded her arms across her chest. "Ron."

"What?" He asked, trying to look innocent.

"It can't be nothing."

"Ian can't just be someone you know."

"Ron!"

"Amy!"

Amy groaned. This was so stupid. Ron was being so childish just acting like that. What did he care anyway? It's her life. When Ron saw how irritated she looked, he gulped, and he said quietly, "It's just that, I don't know, I guess Hamilton kind of likes you. And you look like you have this thing for Ian, even though I can see he kind of tortures you without even trying."

Amy let out an awkward laugh. "Why would Hamilton like me?"

Ron's cheeks turned red. He looked down at his hands, avoiding Amy's gaze. "Well...you're pretty, you're smart, you've got amazing green eyes, your laugh is so intoxicating, yo---"

"Okay, I get the point!" Amy cut him off. She didn't want to hear more of whatever he was going to say, and looks like Ian was right. Ron probably really did like her. A lot. But it sucked even more that Ian was right. _Darn him for being right about almost everything_, Amy thought bitterly. "Look, Ron, whatever it is, it's nothing. And Ian"---she nearly choked out the name---"really is just like that: evil, smart, devious, a total jerk..."

Ron looked awkwardly at her.

Amy cleared her throat, and continued speaking. "All I'm saying is that I'm only friends with Hamilton and Ian's really like that. And it doesn't matter how I look at Ian or any other guy. It doesn't mean anything."

Ron nodded.

**XXX**

The screams of all the kids Hamilton bullied was like music to his ears. The fear in their eyes was also something that made his day wonderful. The screams, the terror, the fear---it was all just great. Now, the poor fellow he was bullying was begging him to stop and to leave him alone. He even said he'd do whatever projects they needed to do for Hamilton. Bullying had its benefits.

"You'll do all of them?" Hamilton asked, making sure the guy wasn't bluffing.

The boy nodded nervously. "Y-yes!! A-a-all of it! Just p-p-p-please stop!"

Hamilton was punching and kicking the guy because he tried acting tough by annoying Hamilton ("Hey, dip-wad!" The boy had said), enjoying each and every little groan or scream of pain that he let out. But it turns out that this guy wasn't just some wimp. He knew his way around bullies, Hamilton supposed. Well, why wouldn't he accept an offer like that? He could slack off and just order this wimp around!

Hamilton grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt and lifted him up off the ground. The poor boy was trembling with so much fear he could barely keep his balance. Hamilton had to smile. "You better do that if you don't wanna find yourself in your own grave," Hamilton warned the boy, making every word seem like daggers piercing through the boy. He meant everything he said.

"Y-yes," The boy stammered and ran away.

Hamilton smirked. He still had it. He still knew how to scare the poor, defenseless fellows. He would never bully a girl...or at least not in the same way he bullied boys. If girls annoyed him, he'd probably say a few bad things about them or tease them, then lay off after. At least he didn't harm a girl _physically_. That would turn out really, really bad.

From afar, he could see Amy and that geek Ron walking side-by-side. But Amy looked like she wanted to get rid of him so badly, so Hamilton walked over quickly to their direction, bumping a few puny kids. When Ron saw him coming their way, he saw Ron's expression darken. Looks like he still hasn't forgiven Hamilton for being so mean to him.

"Hey, Amy," Hamilton said with a smile. But he frowned when he looked at Ron. "Oh, _you_."

Ron held his chin high and tried to make a come-back but Amy interrupted. "Whoa," She said to Hamilton, "Why's your shirt all bloody? Did you get in a fight with someone?"

Hamilton rolled his eyes. "It wasn't even much of a fight. Some idiot tried looking like a tough guy, thinking I wouldn't mind. Well, I sure showed him! He even begged for me to stop beating him up. I only stopped when he promised to do all of the schoolwork for me. At least we both benefit in some way."

Now it was Amy's turn to roll her jade eyes. "And how, exactly, do both of you benefit?"

"I don't beat him up, he does all the grunt work for me."

"Wow," Amy said sarcastically, "That sure is very beneficial."

"Ouch. That was hurtful."

"It was supposed to be."

"Double ouch!"

Amy and Hamilton laughed. Ron was staring at the both of them. Oh, no. Did she like _him_ too? Was she caught up in some sort of love triangle? _Well, who says one more guy can't enter this competition for Amy's heart?_ Ron thought suddenly, _I'm going to make Amy like---no, **LOVE**---me, if it's the last thing I do!_

"Hey, tiny." A jock was addressing Ron, who looked really dumb with that look of desperation plastered on his face. "You gonna move your butt out of my way or do I have to do it for you?" This jock was really tall (even taller than Hamilton), and he looked like he could _kill_ someone. Now Ron wouldn't want to put himself in _that_ situation.

"Sorry," Ron literally squeaked out. He stepped away nervously and watched the jock and a bunch of his friends walk off. He was afraid that Amy might have seen him, but when he looked at where she was earlier, he only realized then that she had left off with Hamilton Holt.

_Well_, A voice inside his mind said, _well that was stupid! How are you gonna win her over if you're gonna be really dumb? She was right there and you could have impressed her by standing up to that jerk of a jock._

_Shut up,_ Ron replied in his mind, _I'll figure out a way!_

_Suit yourself, genius, _The voice answered.

There probably never was any way he'd win over such a pretty and intelligent girl like Amy. Ian Kabra and Hamilton Holt only made it harder.

"Well, maybe I don't need to enter this competition for Amy's heart," Ron mumbled, but changed his mind. "Ah, to hell with that thought!! It's about time I proved myself---by having a really pretty and intelligent girl for my girlfriend.....if only I could figure out how I'm going to do that."

He heaved a sigh.

**XXX**

"What is it with that guy?" Hamilton asked. He was walking with Amy towards the library. While Ron was in some weird state, he and Amy left silently. It was his idea, actually. He didn't want to be seen hanging around with some fool. That would only make him look like one, too. And Amy quickly agreed to get going.

_I guess she doesn't really like that guy_, Hamilton thought. _Thank God for_ that.

Amy shrugged. "I guess he's just like that."

"You mean he just spaces out like that for a long time?"

"Maybe."

"Wow."

"Why did you say that?"

"Nothing. I just thought people here weren't the types who just do that kind of stuff. I thought they were the types who are so devoted to getting through college. Like you."

Amy smiled. "Really? So you think I'm devoted to my studies?"

"Um, DUH."

Amy giggled as she went in the library. "Hey, Amy," A blond girl greeted her. She was the girl Amy had helped pick up some of her things when she accidentally dropped them on the floor. Amy smiled at her, while the blond simply stared at Hamilton Holt. Hamilton ignored her and just went in. Normally, the library wasn't the one place he'd go to. But he was just accompanying Amy, so that didn't really matter.

The other students were busy going to and fro, piles of books in their arms. Some piles even went past their heads! Yup, this was really a place full of study-holics. Not every one of those 'study-holics' looked as wimpy, geeky or lame as the others (like that complete idiot Ron), others had looks, while others were jocks. And there were professors walking around, too. Some were talking to their pupils, others were just looking around. For a while Hamilton wondered if there was a professor like the one in the Dan Brown books (he never really read them, but he heard people talking about them, and he sometimes researched them), like...what was his name? Robert something. Yes, it was Robert. He was curious if there would be anyone like him who went off to different places to save the day from some cult.

Apparently, there weren't any. "Talk about lame," Hamilton mumbled to himself.

He watched as Amy took out a bunch (not just SOME, but a whole BUNCH) of books from their shelves. She was so enthusiastic about these things. They were books, that was all they were. Books. Books with words in black and on either new paper or yellowing ones. They were boring like...whatever. They were boring, period.

Amy tried reaching for a book at a very high spot, but she couldn't reach it even if she tip-toed. Hamilton silently reached up for it and handed it to Amy. She was blushing, but he didn't know why. Then he realized he was standing right behind her. _Well, duh_, He thought. He moved back a little and asked her if it was the book she was trying to get. Of course it was, but he had nothing better to say. If he asked "Why are you blushing?", he'd sound so stupid.

"Uh, yeah," Amy replied quietly and walked off. Her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would just pop out of her chest, leaving a huge hole just to prove that it did indeed pop out, as if saying "Hey, look! My heart just popped out of me!". That would have been funny to see in the cartoons, but not in real life. Especially when it was going to happen to you.

Hamilton felt awkward, so he just got a book without really caring to see what it was about, and sat a little away from Amy. She didn't seem to be focused on whatever she was reading because her eyes had a distant look in them. As for him, well, he really _wasn't_ reading at all.

And the rest of the day was quiet.

**XXX**

**_9:30 PM_**

Amy had actually been invited to some party being held by one of the freshmen. She knew that college parties involved a lot of things like alcohol and whatever else. She knew all that by observing and watching shows where there were a bunch of kids drunk and driving and later being caught by the police. She didn't want to be part of that.

That party started 30 minutes later, at 10:00 PM. A lot of kids would be going, maybe even some seniors if they were invited. There were even rumors that teachers got invited. But only a fool would believe that nonsense. Why have teachers scold you when you were having the time of your life?

She didn't know if going there would be a good idea. Everybody else was going. Even Hamilton, Ian, and Ron (well, at least she had two reasons to avoid going there: Ian and Ron). She knew that if she went to the party, it meant a lot of drunk kids and trouble and this and that and so on. But she was responsible. She would never put herself in such a situation.

But it might be fun to just hang out with people and make friends with them. She was used to being the uptight one who didn't really know how to have fun. To her, books and learning was what she considered as fun. But she never got to know what _this _kind of fun was. Maybe she should go. Maybe she shouldn't.

Agh. Her mind was so messed up!!

Then she got a call. From Hamilton.

She pressed the answer button on her cellphone. "Hello?"

"Oh, where are you?" Hamilton asked.

Amy let out a sigh. "I can't decide whether I should or shouldn't go!"

"Is it because of..."

Ian? "Well, a_ little_. I can't stand to see him." A little? That was a complete lie.

"A little?"

"Yeah."

"Any other stupid reasons?"

"I just don't want to get myself in trouble if those other kids start messing around and doing whatever else."

"That's it?" He sounded exasperated.

"Yeah."

"Gee, Amy. You sure are one boring chick."

"Whatever."

"You should really try to have more fun! You're going to grow old way too quickly before you know it. Who knows? Maybe by the time you're twenty you'll look like you're fifty."

Amy held back a smile. "So should I go?"

"Yeah. Enjoy your life while you're young. By the time you're through with college, you'll have to find a job and earn a living---not that you really need one anyway."

"Look, I'll just stay where I am. Enjoy your night, 'kay?"

"Sure, sure."

And she hung up. She wondered what they were doing to a point that she nearly screamed in frustration. Then she finally made her decision: She was most definitely going. Of course, she'd avoid the bad stuff (alcohol, drunk kids, Ron) and maybe be a little wild. It sounded so easy to do, but when you're placed in the situation, it just gets so tough.

As for the wild part, she crossed it out of her to-do list. She'd lay back.

And now for the biggest problem she had to face: What was she going to wear?

**XXX**

**_10:15 PM_**

Amy wasn't so sure if the dress she chose suited her at all. She couldn't think of what to wear. Normally, a pair of jeans and a T-shirt wouldn't have been so bad for her. But the freshman who invited her was a rich kid, and dressing up like that would make her look like an idiot. She wouldn't want to find out that everyone else was wearing such fancy clothes (or anything near fancy) while she just looked like a girl who had no idea on what was going on.

And that very thing happened.

Except it was _her_ who looked too dressed up while everyone else looked like they _didn't _even bother to get dressed. As she snaked through the crowd looking for a familiar face, many students were just staring at her. Some were even whispering stuff, others were obviously laughing at her for dressing up like she was meeting with the Queen of England. Or the President of the United States.

Amy even saw some guys eyeing her, or checking her out. And that was completely gross! If she could, she would have already left and just go to sleep. But there was no turning back now. She was already there, surrounded by kids she didn't even know. Then she saw a familiar face among the sea of kids.

Ian.

It hurt just to look at him. And thinking of him gave her horrible headaches and restless nights. She had to get sleeping pills just to put herself to sleep. She tried to hide from Ian, but he spotted her easily. He smirked and walked to her. Oh, crap. Did he really have to just walk to her and look at her like that?

"Well, well," Ian said smoothly, "Look at you. You look...different." He was scanning her from head to toe in her dress. He was wearing a designer long-sleeved shirt, jeans, and his expensive shoes. And the part that Amy hated the most was how she kept noticing how good he looked that night.

Darn his good looks.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Amy blurted out. She didn't really think about what she was going to say. Besides, it was about time she showed him she wouldn't be a push-over. To show him that she didn't care if she liked him, and that he couldn't just mess around with her. And what she said sounded good enough, although it wasn't as mocking as she intended it to be.

Ian shrugged. "I suppose so."

"Uh..." Amy didn't know what to say next. Stupid lack of deviousness! If she were Dan, she would definitely have something to say to Ian. Something that would annoy him, and even make him feel bad. She liked him too much that she wanted to see him feel bad. She wanted to make him feel stupid this time instead of her. _And how on earth are you going to do that when you can't even think of a good come-back to freaking tell_ _him?_ Amy wondered.

A few guys went to Ian and started talking to him. One of the boys, a dark-haired boy with blue eyes, took notice of Amy and asked Ian, "She with you?"

Amy's jaw dropped. She was about to tell him that they weren't together, but Ian swung his arms around her shoulders in a boyfriend kind of manner. Amy felt the blood rush to her face, making her face feel hot all over. What was he doing?!

"Sadly, no," Ian countered with a smile. "I just happen to know her, right Amy?"

Amy took a while to nod.

The boy grinned. "Well, you better make a move quick, dude. She's quite a catch."

"If you say so."

"So, why don't you bring her along with us? I'm sure the other guys won't really mind."

"Hm. Good idea."

The boys went ahead, and Ian, along with Amy, followed. Amy tried breaking free from Ian, but all her attempts failed. She finally gave up, tired, and demanded to know why on earth he decided to bring her along. He just grinned at her as he calmly said, "Don't worry. It's not like I meant whatever I said to them. But for now, you ought to enjoy the evening while you can."

"I guess you're right," Amy mumbled.

Amy Cahill was going to try to enjoy this night.

* * *

That's finally done with.


	5. Hot Mess

I DO NOT OWN 39 CLUES!

So...I guess it took me a long, long time to update this, huh? Um, well, we went on a short and very tiring trip to Baguio (I just love the weather there!), which involved lots of climbing up and down stairs. Ugh. So I couldn't update. And my mind's been blank for so long I couldn't come up with anything to write :/ That **sucks**!

* * *

Amy was used to being the boring one when she hung out with people. And people probably pitied her so much that they'd just say, "You're just not the life of the party, you know what I mean?". It was just a kinder way of saying "You're boring." And she was always fine with that. She never gave in to peer pressure...until now.

"So...um, Amy," One of Ian's friends said. He was obviously trying to start a conversation with her, but was having a hard time thinking of a subject. She was just so...quiet. She didn't drink, she rarely spoke to any of them, and when she was asked anything, she always gave a brief answer (like 'Yes', 'No', or 'I'm not sure'). "Uh, do you like...koalas?"

_Koalas?_ Amy felt bad for him. He was trying so hard to think of something to say to her, and all he could come up with was a question asking if she liked koalas. Poor, poor guy. And after remembering the time she had corrected Isabel Kabra (who probably hated her even more now) when she commented on Amy's pajamas*****, she probably didn't like koalas now. "Er, I don't know. Do you?"

"I...I guess so, yeah," He replied.

Silence followed. All she could do was watch as the others laughed and talked and mingled. She was so left out. Ian noticed the look on her face and whispered to her, "What's with the long face?"

"Nothing," Amy mumbled back.

"It can't be nothing." He took a sip from his vodka.

"It's just that I feel left out. They tell me to drink this and that, and you know I don't drink."

"That's pretty obvious."

Amy rolled her eyes. "I just can't bring myself to do so."

Ian was silent for a few moments before he handed her his glass. Yes, he did like to see other people suffer or feel bad about themselves, and watching Amy feel bad was sort of enjoyable, but at the same time he pitied her.

"Take a sip," He told her. Amy stared at Ian for a long time then tentatively brought the glass closer to her lips. The smell of alcohol was unpleasant to Amy, so she pinched her nose, closed her eyes, and took a quick sip. Ian and his peers watched her intently.

Amy opened her eyes and let herself breathe. It was like drinking really crisp and clean ice water but with a burn on the way down. It was almost tasteless, really. It was kind of good. "It's actually not that bad once you try it," Amy remarked with a grin. Ian smirked. Operation 'Make Amy Less Boring' was a success...until she started tasting the others' drinks too.

Ian and his friends exchanged puzzled looks as Amy took a sip from their drinks. "Um, Amy," Ian said slowly, "What are you doing?"

"Mm," She hummed as she took a sip of vodka mixed with juice. "This is pretty good."

And soon before long, she found herself drinking just about anything she could lay her hands on: wine, champagne, gin, rum, whiskey, tequila, brandy, cocktails, etc. She learned that tequila that were longer aged tasted much better. Or that rum had a 'bite' to it. And she didn't really like scotch, which had an earthy flavor to it.

And one thing was for certain:

She was so drunk she could barely even stand up straight.

Dancing with random people she didn't know, drinking like crazy...it all was just so much! Ian tried to stop her from drinking, but she got away from him and now he didn't know where on earth that crazy woman was. "You were the one who started it anyway!" Amy said almost incoherently when he asked her to stop then walked away.

Well, she had a point there. He was the one who encouraged her to drink. It probably was nice to see her having fun, but not like this. Ian knew one thing: He would never, _ever_, **_EVER_** let her drink anything ever again. _Talk about a cheap date_, He thought in disdain as he searched all over for Amy Cahill.

**XXX**

Hamilton couldn't believe what he was seeing. Amy Cahill, the sweet and shy girl he knew, wasn't so sweet and shy. Oh no, not tonight. She was going _wild_---red hair a mess, dancing with guys she didn't know, and going on a drinking spree. He watched as she climbed up the bar counter and let it all out. A couple of girls joined her.

"What the hell?" He muttered. Now people were going just as nuts as Amy was.

He pushed past the other kids and walked up to Amy. Oh, God. This chick was drunk!! He could only hope that she wouldn't fall---which did happen. He rushed to her aid. "Hey, Amy!" Hamilton said, helping Amy up, "You okay? And what the heck is wrong with you tonight, huh?" Amy blinked a couple of times and rubbed some sore parts of her body. "Oh!" Amy slurred after realizing it was Hamilton who helped her up, "Hamilton! This party is _so_ much fun!"

Hamilton scowled. "You're drunk like hell, Amy."

Amy laughed and swung an arm around Hamilton's neck, making him blush just a little. "Oh, loosen up, Hammy!"

"_Hammy?_" Hamilton exclaimed. "Okay, that's it. I'm taking you out of here." He dragged her past the other kids, ignoring her complaints. He never really did imagine to be in a situation like this. He never thought he'd be the helping a totally drunk friend. Well, at least it gave him a sense of achievement. Kind of.

Amy didn't want to leave. She was having the time of her life! "C'mon! Let's stay! Even just for a while...."

"No."

"I won't drink!"

"No."

Amy continued to think of ways to get him to let her stay, but the more she argued with him, the more tired she got. And her head was aching all of a sudden, and she felt like hurling. She didn't have anymore energy to try escaping from Hamilton. She was just too tired.

As they neared the exit, he caught sight of that jerk Ian Kabra. Ian looked shocked to see Amy trying to break free from Hamilton. Hamilton looked irritated when he saw Ian. Amy looked...well, she looked drunk and crazy. Ian walked towards them. "I can take it from here," He told Hamilton with an indescribable look on his handsome face. "Nah, I can handle this," Hamilton retorted.

"I insist," Ian hissed.

Hamilton was hesitant, but gave Amy to Ian. He couldn't trust this guy. Ian was, in his opinion, evil. But he thought that maybe he could give him a chance. Just this once.

Ian nodded at Hamilton, and Amy held on tight to Ian's arm, feeling the muscles through his shirt. She could barely stand up, and she gave up on trying to stay much longer. She felt so sick. As they walked out, or more precisely, as Ian walked out with Amy stumbling alongside him, her throat was burning. Her head was throbbing. And her sight was getting blurry. Ugh. She felt so sick.

Ian saw how Amy's skin turned green. "Amy, hey, are you okay---"

All of a sudden, Amy barfed. Ian looked away from the disgusting sight, and just smiled awkwardly at some by-passers who were staring at her with puzzled looks. After vomiting, Amy just blacked out. Ian sighed. The girl had fallen asleep right after embarrassing herself severely in front of lots of people.

"Oh dear God," Ian muttered as he carried a sleeping Amy on his back.

**XXX**

It was easy finding her dorm room since he happened to bump into her roommate, Jacqueline. Jacqueline had ebony-colored hair, a doe-eyed look, and was of average height. She looked genuinely surprised to see him carrying Amy, making Jacqueline's already wide-open eyes look even bigger. "What happened to her?" She asked Ian as she opened the door for him, and all he said was "You don't want to know."

Ian lay Amy down on her bed and sat down at the edge. Ouch, his back ached after carrying the surprisingly heavy girl back to her dorm. He caught Jacqueline cautiously looking at him. He was used to girls staring at him like that. Can't blame him for being good-looking. He gave her a small smile and she, blushing, stammered, "I'll...uh..go for a walk."

After a while, he decided to go back to his own room. But just as he was about to stand up, Amy suddenly grasped his hands. It caught him off guard, but it gave him this warm feeling inside. He blushed and was glad that Amy was fast asleep. He suddenly remembered what his mother used to tell him: "You're just a softy." Maybe she was right....but he wasn't going to admit it. Maybe he did have a soft spot for some things...and people...like Amy.

Ian sighed. He knew that she wanted him to stay. And he had no choice. At least he could see the look on her face when she wakes up just to find him there. That would be pretty funny. And he couldn't wait to just tell her what happened to her, and laugh at her reaction.

He yawned.

Yeah, he'd do that. Tomorrow. But for now, he would just rest. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

So.......ahem. I guess this was much shorter than Chapter 4, but I might edit it. When I think of some other stuff to add. :)

So tired...

* * *

***** If I can remember correctly, the whole kaola pajama thing was mentioned in Book 6, during a flashback of Amy's. I don't remember it too clearly....It's like I forgot tons of stuff now...Ha ha

Oh, and sorry if they seem/are out of character. -.-

And the only alcoholic beverage I've ever tasted/drunk is wine. The first time, it was only a sip. Then during Christmas Eve, I gulped down half a glass of wine. I nearly spit it out, but I forced myself to drink it. After that I just chewed gum to get rid of the weird taste. So now I suddenly feel like tasting vodka and tequila....but I'm too young to. Hehe


End file.
